The Johto Trio
by fucktrain-sama
Summary: Three young children, Naomi, Danny, and Fletcher, embark on the journey of a life time that will define how they shape the future. Each one has their own goals to attain, and more than enough to prove to the world that challenges their will.
1. Chapters 1&2 (I Choose You)

The dense and vast forests of Johto were broken up by townships where humans had nestled together and built small communities where Pokemon trainers often left from. In the southern part of the country, an overgrown forest path lead to a small village made of wood houses. A shiny, futuristic laboratory rose a story over the rest of the village. This was the lab of the renowned Pokemon Professor, Jason Elm. This town was called New Bark.

Today was April 27th, which was known in the village as Trainer Registration day. Since the events following a boy named Red, the trainer registration age had been raised to 14 as to keep younger children out of danger. Three kids in the village turned 14 this day.

There was Danny who woke up at 5 a.m. in a cold sweat and hadn't slept since. He rode his collapsable bike steadily, slightly standing on the pedals as he glided down the pebbled road of New Bark, hesitantly embracing the significance of today.

There was Fletcher, who woke up at 8 this morning, and left his house feeling incredibly prepared and incredibly nervous. He gripped the handle of his bicycle tightly and darted quickly across town towards the lab, secretly hoping to get there before his friends.

There was Naomi who was still sleeping. Her intense excitement of getting her first Pokemon exhausted her and she sprawled out in her bed snoring loudly. Her alarm would go off soon, but she won't wake up for awhile yet.

Fletcher reached the lab first, panting as he excitedly jumped off of his bike and let if fall in a cloud of dust as he ran up the stone path to the lab's front door. The door was an automatic door that made a distinct _woosh_ sound as it opened before him. He smiled giddily as he look forward.

Danny arrived second, and stepped carefully off of his bike. He looked at the bike in the dirt and shook his head. _Fletcher's already here,, huh? I wonder if I'm the last one,_ he thought to himself. He folded it up slowly as he breathed deeply. He put the rectangular-shaped mesh of his bike softly into his backpack, and zipped it back up. He stood up straight, took a long breath, and stepped forward purposefully.

He walked inside, and immediately saw the back of his old friend, Fletcher, standing at a long table with three spheres sitting. _Well,_ Danny thought, _I guess I wasn't the last one after all._

He approached the table nervously and planted himself beside his friend Fletcher who was looking down at one of the spheres. It was a Pokeball, and it had a bright green leaf printed on the front of the red half of the ball. Danny grinned happily. Fletcher had researched his starter choice thoroughly and had been going on for months about the Grass-Type, Chikorita.

Danny looked down at the table and placed himself in front of the Pokeball with a water drop on the front of it. He and Naomi had both fancied the Water-Type, Totodile, over the other three, and they both agreed that whoever arrived first would be the one to get it. Danny wondered if Naomi would hold up that agreement. She had probably forgotten in her excitement. He sighed deeply and looked down at his feet.

A staircase sat against the back wall that the two boys faced, and they both looked at it as they heard the sound of the Professor's dress shoes tapping against the polished steel. He hit the last step, and the tail of his bright white lab coat danced excitedly around his feet. His tan vest, made of thick Mareep wool, was tucked into his darker brown pants. Underneath the vest, he wore a dress shirt that was a bright green. His square glasses sat firmly in front of two bright blue eyes. His messy blond hair complimented his goofy smile that radiated with pride. He was Professor Jason Elm of the Johto region.

"Fletcher! Danny! Welcome! Are you two ready to become Pokemon trainers?!" His voice was excited and he walked over to his desk, pulled his rolling chair out, and plopped down with gusto. He swiveled the chair around to face the boys. "Well? Take your pick, boys! This will be the partner that will help define your journey. Pick wisely."

Danny and Fletcher exchanged nervous glances. "Erm, Professor?" Danny asked awkwardly.

Elm rose his eyebrow and addressed Danny. "What seems to be the matter, son?"

Danny pointed towards the door. "Shouldn't we wait for Naomi first?"

Elm sighed deeply, and let his arms dangle dramatically. "I suppose we should wait for the entire New Bark trio to get here huh?"

Danny beamed brightly. "Of course we should!"

"Okay, but she better not take too long," Elm replied, exasperatedly.

A small buzz could be heard as Naomi's Pokenav rattled against her night stand. This is what she called "the calm before the storm". What came next, "the storm", was also what she would describe as "the worst noise anybody could ever hear ever". This screeching noise, which acted as her last alarm, sent her bolting upwards in her bed. Her long, red hair stook up in every direction and she looked groggily at the time.

"Oh…" The sound escaped her before the thought even connected. "Shit, I'm so late!" She hopped out of bed, her feet lightly hitting the floor, changed her clothes, grabbed her backpack, and sloppily put her hair into a messy bun. By the time she carefully dashed down her narrow stairs, she was out of breath, and struggling to put her shoes on. Before her parents could even greet her, she had slipped out the door, passing her bike sitting the yard, and breaking into the most intense sprint of her life.

Danny leaned against the side of the table, and looked impatiently at the door. Fletcher sat in a collapsable chair that Elm had brought for him. He rested the back of his head on the back of the chair and looked at the ceiling. Danny looked at his long, brown hair that covered his one eye. He looked displeased and attempted to fix it with a quick rustle. Seeming satisfied, he returned his attention to the door.

A few seconds later, and very out of breath Naomi barrelled into the room, startling Fletcher into almost falling out of his chair. Danny sat back at the sound of his childhood friend's hectic entrance. Elm looked up nonchalantly from his computer and a smile crept across his face.

"Well, the gang's all here. Good morning, Naomi." He stood up and walked towards the front of the table. Fletcher and Danny returned to their places in front of their starter choices.

Naomi took a moment to breathe, placing her hands on her knees and heaving heavily. "I'm so sorry, I slept through my alarm."

The professor chuckled. "It's quite alright. I'm relieved to see that you're here at last. Go ahead and stand by the table over here - if your legs can still move, that is." He laughed softly.

Her exhaustion turned to laser focus as she looked at the table and saw Danny stand in front of the Pokeball with the water droplet. "Oh Hell no, Daniel, you are not about to pick Totodile!" She roared.

Danny's eyes narrowed at her furiously. "Like Hell you will, Naomi! We made a deal, and I got here first, so Totodile's mine!"

"I don't care! Totodile is a small, cute reptile, and I love small cute reptiles! I get Totodile!"

Danny pouted, and turned away from his friend. "Fine…" He positioned himself next to Fletcher half-heartedly, and Naomi smugly took her place on Danny's right.

Elm gathered himself, and cleared his throat. "Now, you three are going to begin the journey that will shape your lives in one way," he looked at Fletcher, "or another," he said, turning his attention to Naomi. "What you do on this journey will allow you to discover who you are as a person, and will help you learn about the people and Pokemon around you. You will develop skills you never thought you'd have, and create bonds that will last the test of time. Now, to begin this journey, you will select your first Pokemon."

Fletcher grabbed the Pokeball in front of him and anxiously shouted "Chikorita I choose you!"

Naomi quickly snatched her Pokeball and shouted proudly "Totodile, I choose you!"

Danny sighed and grabbed his Pokeball as he said "Cyndaquil, I choose you."

Before the trio left, Professor Elm handed them each a brown box that felt dense and heavy. "This is your Trainer Starter Kit. It contains everything that you will need to begin your Pokemon journey properly. Use them wisely, the supplies are limited."

They nodded understandingly. "And Naomi, Danny, Fletcher? One more thing."

"What's that, Professor?" Fletcher asked hesitantly.

The Professor began to tear up. "Farewell. I hope to see you all when this is over."

Naomi wiped a tear from her eye. "Of course Professor, we wouldn't go anywhere else." The other two nodded in agreement.

Elm managed a smile. "Good, now get out there and make me proud."


	2. Chapter 3: Route 29

The first day of each trainer's journey did not go well. As the trio stepped onto Route 29, and said their goodbyes, the sky above them began to pour with rain.

Danny had climbed several ridges as he made his way North towards Route 46, and the dense forest around him provided some shelter from the rain above.

Fletcher, who had made his way into a broad clearing, was not so lucky, and was forced to find refuge somewhere in the treeline. The gentle rain pattered against the broad foliage above his head, and a cascade of water fell in front of him and his tiny Chikorita.

The Chikorita sat in his lap and stared at him. "Chika, chika?" it asked with childlike curiosity.

Fletcher sighed. "Yeah, Chikorita, it looks like we're gonna be here for awhile. I don't want to be travelling while it's raining like this."

"Chika…" it said, disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Chikorita. We'll set out as soon as the rain clears."

Danny slipped on the rocky outcropping of Route 46 and his Cyndaquil, Pincushion, clinged to his back and murmured in discontent. The edge of the storm dropped raindrops gently on the travelers as they made their way through the dangerous and jagged route. Danny pulled himself up onto the plateau, plucked the small, yellow creature from his back, and rocked him gently.

"I don't like the rain either, Pins, but we can't let this get us down. We have to gather up a team before Naomi does. If she does better, I'm not gonna hear the end of it…"

Pincushion groaned, and fell back dramatically.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a baby, Pins. At least this way you'll get stronger and we can maybe have a chance against that Totodile of hers."

Pincushion sighed and curled into his trainer's chest. It was going to be a long day for the young Cyndaquil.

Naomi and her Totodile, Blue, were thoroughly enjoying the rainstorm that had been slowing the progress of their rivals. They darted through the foliage eagerly, as wild Pidgey and Rattata scattered from the brush to avoid the twosome.

The bashful alligator Pokemon clawed at unsuspecting wild Pokemon, and knocked them off their feet while listening to the cheering of his trainer. "That's it, Blue! Keep that up, and you'll get stronger in no time!"

"Tota, tota!" he cried happily as he slid through a mud puddle, and batted energetically at a low-flying Pidgey.

The pair then leaped over a small cliff, and tumbled into a large thicket of grass. The branches brushed them, and tangled their leaves and twigs into Naomi's hair.

"Young lady, you really should be less reckless." a deep voice said somewhere.

Naomi looked up to find a man standing before her. He was a tall man, with shaved, black hair and piercing brown eyes. He wore a black pinstripe suit, and the right breast of his suit jacket bore a bright red "R" that seemed to stand out from the rest of his figure. His stern face and stiff posture made him seem very intense. He reached a hand out to help Naomi up.

Naomi reluctantly grabbed his hand and was hoisted up effortlessly. The man tugged the collar of his suit and cleared his throat. "I advise you be more cautious with cliff faces. You don't know what's going to be at the bottom."

Naomi looked down and nodded shamefully as if she was being scolded. She felt a tightness in her throat as she spoke. "Yes sir, I'll remember that, sir."

His gazed moved from Naomi to Blue. "A Totodile? So you're a trainer, and a beginning trainer at that."

Naomi nodded again. "Yes sir, I just started today." She felt her own responses coming almost effortlessly and immediately, as if wasting his time was somehow the wrong thing to do.

"That's good. My son is a trainer too and he learned quite a lot from his journey. He used to be quite the delinquent." The man smiled slightly.

Naomi's eyes widened. She would've never expected this man to even have a family, yet she saw pride in his eyes. "What does he do now?"

His smile widened. "He's the head of the Johto Police Department."

Naomi's fear abated slightly and she managed a small smile. "You must be incredibly proud of him now, sir."

"Incredibly so. He's grown up quite a lot these past few years." He looked beyond her pensively for entirely too long and then snapped his attention back to her. "Well I must be going along. I have some things to amend. It was a pleasure meeting you," he hesitated. "I'm sorry, I never caught your name."

"Naomi," she replied, quietly, reaching her hand out to shake his.

He shook her hand merrily. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Naomi. I wish you and your Pokemon a safe journey." He began to walk away before stopping and pivoting back around to face her. "Oh and miss!"

Startled, Naomi managed a "Yes sir?"

The man sighed exasperated. "My apologies, but if you ever encounter my son, could you see to it that this letter gets to him?" He held out an envelope, which had the same red "R" stamped to the front of it.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not entirely sure what he looks like." Naomi sputtered.

The man chuckled. "Not to worry. He has long, bright red hair, much like your own. You'll know when you see him, I assure you."

The man made his way through the dense forest of Route 29, and disappeared from her sight. She felt a tugging at her leg, and looked down to find Blue with his arms outstretched. She picked him up and plopped him down gently on her shoulder before looking towards the way she had been going. As the sun set into the horizon, and the sky began to take on a deep blue, she saw a dim light in the distance. She was almost to Cherrygrove City.

On the side of a small mountain on the edge of the Johto Mountains, Danny sat on a cliff that overlooked Route 46. From this small outcropping, he scanned the grassy craig for a sign of life. He clutched a Pokeball tightly in his hand as he waited, excitedly, for the appearance of a Pokemon.

Pincushion sat impatiently beside him, and nudge the trainer with his snout every thirty seconds or so in hopes of gaining Danny's attention, each time with little success. He would occasionally scratch his snout absent-mindedly but this only made him more anxious for attention. Pincushion did the only thing a Cyndaquil could do in situation: he headbutted his trainer in the ribs.

"Ow! Pins, what the hell was that for?!" Danny looked down angrily at his Cyndaquil.

The slits of Pincushion's eyes scrunched up angrily, and he turned his head in protest. "Quil," he scoffed.

Danny rolled his eyes snarkily. "Okay, fine. Come here, Pins. We're going to go on a walk." Danny scooped up the large rodent in his arms and look towards the vast, rocky expanse of Route 46. "I think we should go this way."

Fletcher awoke from his light sleep as a bird Pokemon chirped nearby. He shifted listfully, and his eyes caught sight of a Pidgey sitting several yards away. His Chikorita was not yet awake, but a youthful eagerness rose from his spirit, and he jumped up eagerly.

"Chika, go!" His Chikorita bounced up excitedly, and stumbled a bit. She shook her head as if to shake off sleep, and her big, blue eyes became fierce as she locked onto the Pidgey.

"Chika!" Chika cried ambitiously.

Fletcher pointed at the alerted Pidgey before them. "Chika, use Tackle!"

Chika darted forward and threw herself at the Pidgey, putting all of her weight into her left frontal shoulder blade. The Pidgey launched itself into the air, arched over Chika, and spun itself around as to face upwards, and soared up toward the rising sun and away from the young duo.

Fletcher sighed in defeat. "It got away… I hope Danny and Naomi are doing better than I am…"

Chika waltzed clumsily over to her master, and tugged eagerly on his pant leg.

Fletcher looked down quizzically. "What's up, Chika?"

"Chika, Chika!" she boasted happily, and nodded her head toward a small bush that another Pidgey had stepped out form.

A mischievous grin spread across Fletcher's face as the fire returned to his spirit. "Okay, Chika," Fletcher shouted, "use Tackle!"


	3. Chapter 4: Steady Footing

The day the Naomi arrived at the Cherrygrove City Pokemon Center was also the day that the Johto Weekly newspaper was shipped to Pokemon Centers and households across the region. She looked up into the sky as a large Noctowl descended gently in front of Naomi, and reached into the knapsack strung across the bird Pokemon. It protruded a single issue of Johto Weekly, folded thrice and tied together with a thick, blue string. Naomi reached for it gracefully, and as she grabbed it, the Noctowl cooed approvingly and, without warning, launched itself into the evening sky.

"Huh, this is strange," Naomi muttered to herself as she, and her shoulder-resting Totodile, scanned the front headline in (well in Blue's case comically false) fascination.

In large, bold lettering at the top of the page read "Johto's Chief of Police Continues Search for Mysterious Head of Team Rocket". Below was a picture of a man dressed in a police uniform. He had long, red hair that was tied back in a ponytail, and he held his hat against his chest. His steely eyes looked past the camera to some unseen horizon, and he held a piercing glare.

Naomi's eyes widened with the dawn of realization. "So this is Silver, huh…" She muttered to herself. She studied the intensity of his face. "He looks a lot like his father," she said decisively.

She looked at Blue, who gripped her shoulder tightly with his front claws and studied Silver intensely. "Everything okay, boy?" She inquired.

Blue snapped to attention, and nodded affirmingly. "Toto to!"

"Okay, good," she whispered softly. "And now we know who we need to look for, so it'll make things a lot easier.

Her stomach growled loudly and she looked down at it expectedly. "Well, I guess we should get some food first, huh buddy?"

Blue nodded slowly, also becoming aware of his own hunger.

Danny began climbing down the far side of the rocky crag with incredible caution. Pincushion hid in Danny's backpack, and poked his head out of the large pocket every so often to look down nervously, only to pull himself back into the pocket in fear. Eventually, Danny's feet touched a small cliff that was just large enough for Danny to sit and dangle his lanky legs over.

He kicked his legs in slowly and admired the landscape of the northbound Route, and considered whether he should turn back or not. He looked down at his map to judge the distance to Blackthorn City. As he did that a sharp voice echoed across the valley in front of him.

"Hey, kid!" It shouted.

Danny snapped his head up and scanned the valley for the source of the voice. He looked to the other side of the valley, and saw a figure cloaked in blue standing on a very narrow ledge. He cupped his mouth to yell. "Yeah?!"

He could barely make out the figure - a woman with long blue hair - cup her mouth with one hand. "What are you doing in a place like this?!"

Danny cupped his mouth to respond but she yelled "Nevermind, come down! We'll talk closer!". Danny nodded in affirmation, and began to climb a little quicker.

The woman, who made the descent infinitely more quickly than he, stood in halfway between the two plateaus. As he drew closer to her, he began to make out more details about her. She had energetic, steely-blue eyes, and her features were pulled back in an elegant fierceness. She wore an indigo unitard underneath a billowing blue cap that cascaded behind her dramatically. Around her neck was a silver necklace with a large, jagged fang dangling from the chain. It fascinated Danny.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to look at a girl's chest, kid?" The woman asked, in mock accusation.

Danny's face grew bright red as he became flustered. "I-I… I'm sorry… I wasn't look that, I was -".

The woman chuckled before cutting him off. "I know kid, you were looking at the fang. You've never seen anything like it, huh?"

Danny tried to snap out of his fluster. "N-no, not even in books."

The woman cackled loudly, throwing her head back. "It's a Salamence fang!" She boasted. "I guess you don't know what that even is. It's a Pokemon that isn't found in Johto. You don't know much about other regions, do yah?"

Danny blushed as embarrassment resonated through him. He had done so much research before he became a trainer, but he never thought to research other regions other than his home. His past narrow-mindedness horrified his current self, and he barely stammered out "N-no, I don't…" He looked down quickly and held his gaze with the earth.

He thought he heard her chuckle softly before she spoke again. "It's okay, kid, I didn't know about much outside of here until I joined the League. Don't feel too bad."

This caught Danny's attention and snapped him back to his senses. "You're part of the Pokemon League?!" He exclaimed, excitedly.

The woman winked at him. "You got it! My name is Clair. It's a pleasure to meet you, young man." She extended her hand inviting him to shake it.

Danny shook it solidly, his confidence returning. "You're the eighth gym leader?!" Danny shouted, as the familiarity of her name clicked. He had researched all of the gym leaders in the region, and had read the tale of a woman from Blackthorn City who was raised to be a Dragon master. She was the gym leader of the city, and the final gym leader in the Pokemon League, Clair.

Clair grinned proudly. "In the flesh! You know, when a woman gives you her name, it's polite to give your name in return."

Danny yelled "Oh!" and quickly introduced himself. "My name is, Danny," he felt his Cyndaquil protrude from his back. "And this is Pincushion," he said, pointing to the small Pokemon.

A charming laugh emitted from Clair that caught Danny off guard. "It's a pleasure to meet the both of you. Now tell me, Danny, where are you headed?"

Danny blushed again. "I was trying to get to Cherrygrove… We're kinda lost…"

Fletcher sat up right on the side of his bed and stared gleefully at the shining red Pokeball in his hand, and a large grin crossed his face. His Chikorita, now healed from her wounds inflicted by Route 31, bounced up the stairs of the Cherrygrove City Pokemon Center. Fletcher had arrived the evening following the morning Naomi had left.

Chika approached her master and eagerly jumped into his lap. Fletcher laughed happily. "It's good to see you feeling better, Chika!"

Chika beamed. "Chika chika!"

Fletcher patted his Pokemon tenderly. "So Chika, are you ready to meet your new teammate?"

Chika nodded excitedly and Fletcher held the Pokeball in front of him. "Okay, Pidge, go!"

A beam of red light poured out of the ball and took the form of a small bird Pokemon A white light radiated and as it died, Fletcher saw the form of his Pidgey before him. The Pidgey ruffled himself, and his golden eyes locked onto his master. He held his gaze for a moment, and then chirped merrily.

Fletcher grinned widely at his Pidgey, revealing a broken tooth. "Pidge, we're gonna get along just fine."

Fletcher intently watched as Chika walked up to Pidge and nudged him softly. Pidge looked intently at Chika, until Chika sighed, and climbed onto the bed. Pidge stood awkwardly for a moment before hopping over to the bed, and flapping his wings eagerly. Fletcher bent down, cupped the small bird in his hands, and placed him on the bed by Chika.

Fletcher was so absorbed in his Pokemon that he didn't notice the nurse who stood patiently beside her cart. "Fletcher?" she asked, softly.

Fletcher snapped to attention and looked apologetically at the nurse. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you here."

She smiled gently. "It's quite alright, but we do need to change your bandages."

Fletcher chuckled, and held gripped his bandaged right arm with his left. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. These ones are pretty bloody."

The nurse's brow wrinkled, worried. "Do you mind me asking what happened to put you in this condition."

Fletcher sighed and looked down. "I ran into something I wasn't strong enough to beat… That's all."

The nurse struggled to maintain her smile. "I understand. I hope you'll be able to defeat them someday."

Fletcher looked up in shock. "Yeah… I hope so too."

"Blue, use Water Gun!"

A powerful blast of water hit the thick oak tree, and bark flew everywhere. "Alright, try it again!" Blue planted his fore-claws firmly into the soil of Route 30, tilted his head up and aimed his jaw at the lone oak tree in front of him. A blast of water spewed from his mouth and hit the tree in the same spot once again, yet the tree stood unyielding.

Naomi sat with her legs crossed, and her brow furrowed in deep thought. "Okay, Blue, maybe we should start training Pokemon…" Her Totodile looked up at her intently. "And we should probably catch some teammates for you too."

Clair looked down at Danny as he timidly made his way up the rocky outcropping several feet behind her. "Hey kid, you should really stop shaking if you're that scared of falling!" She called down.

Danny looked up at her nervously. "A-a-are you sure?"

She nodded firmly. "Yeah, if you keep shaking like that you won't be able to find your footing. If you want to get through this okay, you're going to need to keep steady footing."

Danny nodded firmly and closed his eyes. He gripped the rocky wall tightly and focused on stopping the shaking. This proved difficult for Danny because it wasn't nervousness that caused Danny's muscles to shake; it was exhaustion.

After the nurse changed Fletcher's bandages, Chika rested in his lap, and he stroked her gently as she slept. "I'm so sorry, Chika," Fletcher said, as tears welled up in his eyes, "I'll be strong enough to protect you someday."


	4. Chapter 5: Team Building

Naomi had set up her tent on Route 30 the night that Fletcher had arrived at the Cherrygrove Pokemon Center. She sat in it patiently as a small drizzle fell from the lofty route's sky. She scribbled in a dark blue notebook intently as Blue pranced around outside, enjoying his second day of rain. When the rain stopped however, Naomi peaked out of her tent to see a peculiar sight.

She saw Blue spurt a Water Gun at something in the treeline. Before she could even guess what he was firing at, she saw a quite angry Spinarak crawly furiously at Blue. Her eyes lit up with the spirit of battle. She bounded out of her tent, and sprung up energetically.

"Blue get over here!" She cried. Blue obeyed her and bounded backward, landing at her feet with a hefty stomp.

"Okay, Blue," she ordered decisively, her eyes narrowing at their target, "go for a Water Gun."

Blue positioned himself, leaning heavily on his fore-claws, and fired the powerful and accurate blast at the green spider-like Pokemon before him. The Spinarak leapt upward with a powerful thrust. The blast hit the ground, spraying mud in a circle.

Naomi focused her attention on Totodile and shouted "Blue, jump up and Scratch it! Don't let this bugger get away!"

Blue leapt up quickly, and batted the Spinarak forcefully into the brush. He landed lightly on his feet, and as he caught his breath, a spray of Poison Stings shot from the brush, and scrapped past his left shoulder. Blue's eyes widened in horror, and he froze. A discharge of string emerged from the bushes and covered Blue. The Spinarak scurried furiously out of the bush and aimed its stinger to fire another Poison Sting.

"Oh no you don't," Naomi shouted accusingly. She protruded a Pokeball from her belt and threw it at the Spinarak.

The ball connected with its target, and the Spinarak disappeared in a burst of red light. The ball softly landed in the damp earth. It shook several times, each time, emitting a red glow from the button at its center. On the third shake, it sealed itself with a loud * _click*_.

Naomi jumped up excitedly and threw her hands up as she did so. "Yes! Blue, we got our first team member!"

Blue, still coated in a layer of silky spider webbing muttered "Tota, tota…" in contempt for his situation.

That same night, the very one during which Naomi set up her tent and Fletcher arrived at the Cherrygrove Pokemon Center, Danny also arrived at the Cherrygrove Pokemon Center with his new travel companion, who boldly and loudly dragged him around the small, quiet town.

"Come on, you slowpoke, we're almost there! Put your muscles to work!" She held his wrist tightly, and dragged him effortlessly towards the Pokemon Center.

Danny took a clumsy step forward, and started to match Clair's pace. She kept a firm grip on his arm. "Okay, okay…" Danny protested loudly, and stretched out the last syllable of the second "okay".

They arrived at the front door of the Pokemon Center, and the automatic doors slid open with a effortless * _woosh_ *. A nurse greeted them at the door with a pleasant smile and eyes that were immediately assessing the situation (the situation being a disgruntled young trainer and his fiery escort).

"Hello, and welcome to Cherrygrove Pokemon Center," the nurse said with a pleasantly polite voice, "how many I be of assistance?"

Clair pointed to Danny with her left hand, while her right was still firmly grasping his wrist. "He needs a place to rest for the night."

The nurse looked at Danny, who was shaking from the the exhaustive climbing on Route 46, with mild concern. "Okay, follow me upstairs and we'll assign you a bed."

The second floor of the Pokemon Center was accessible by an escalator on the far left side of the Center's first floor. The nurse lead Danny to a bed along the opposing wall, and left with Pincushion to heal him.

"Well, kid, I'd better get going," Clair said frankly. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Danny looked down and chuckled. "I'm not that much of a kid. I'll be okay, I promise."

Clair small smile tugged at Clair's face as she looked down at him. "Good. Make sure to stop by the Blackthorn City gym sometime, okay?"

Danny grinned. "Okay, but when I do visit, it's going to be for a gym battle."

Clair's smile widened, and a fire lit in her eyes. "I look forward to it, Danny." She turned around fiercely and strode away.

Danny watched as she strode across the floor, and continued walking as her foot touched the top of the escalator, as if no amount of convenience could ever break her stride. Her wild, blue hair disappeared into the first floor and just as Clair reached the first floor of the center, Fletcher had reached the top, and immediately caught the eye of his childhood friend.

"Hey, Fletch!" Danny grinned at his friend with excitement and Fletcher quickly walked over to his friend and sat on his bed, right beside Danny's.

Hey smiled shyly, as was typical of Fletcher. "Hey, I didn't know you were here."

Danny chuckled. "To be fair, I just got here. Well…" He looked back at the escalator. "I was more or less dragged here."

Fletcher raised and eyebrow with intense curiosity. "Dragged here? Who dragged you here?"

Danny shook his head with empathetic disbelief. "Dude, you're not going to believe it."

Fletcher went slack-jawed as Danny revealed the identity of his companion. "Clair?! Like, the eighth gym leader Clair?! The Dragon Queen of Blackthorn Ci-"

"Yeah, Clair. The only Clair I could possibly be referring to." Danny replied, faking annoyance at his friend's befuddlement.

Fletcher looked at his friend with wide-eyed amazement. "Danny, how did you manage to meet the eighth gym leader?"

Danny shrugged. "I just kinda… Ran into her…" He trailed off awkwardly.

Fletcher shook his head. "Dude, I can't believe you got to meet a gym leader, and the eighth gym leader at that."

A slight smirk crossed Danny's face. "Dude, it wasn't that big of a deal. She's a lot more… Normal than I expected a gym leader to be."

"But she's not normal, right?" Fletched raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, she's got a lot of energy. It's like her blood is made of fire."

Fletcher laughed at the thought. "Well, she's a dragon trainer right? Maybe it is made of fire."

This made Danny laugh too. "So you're saying that if I caught a Growlithe or something and became a Fire specialist?"

Fletcher spoke in between laughs. "I'll call you a doctor, just to be sure."

Danny shook his head, and something on Fletcher's bed caught his eye. He had two shiny Pokeballs on the bed. Danny was curious. He had two on the bed, but he knew that Fletcher had more on his belt.

"Hey Fletch," Danny inquired casually, "do you have two Pokemon already?"

Fletcher nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I caught a Pidgey before I got here. I think Naomi was here too. The nurse said a red-headed girl left to go catch Pokemon."

Fletcher watched Danny's eyes widen. His friend stood up with fire in his eyes. "Fletch," he announced loudly, "I'm going to go capture some Pokemon!"

Fletcher looked at him with a very puzzled expression. "Danny, what's gotten into you, man?"

Danny turned away indignantly. "I just gotta stay ahead of Naomi, that's all. I can't let her catch up." He said this at an incredibly fast pace.

Danny gathered his bag quickly, and scooped up his Cyndaquil in his arms. "Okay, Fletch, I'll be back later. Rest tight."

Fletcher watched his friend bustle his way towards the escalator. * _What's gotten into him?_ * Fletcher thought to himself. He sat there for a moment before it clicked. * _Danny hasn't caught any Pokemon, has he? No Fletcher, no he hasn't._ * Fletcher shook his head at his friend's antics, and lied back in his bed. * _Well, I should take his advice, at least. As much as I want to get back out, it won't help these wounds. Ugh, this is gonna suck._ *

Naomi picked her notebook up from the dirty campsite, and brushed it off. She grabbed her pencil from behind her ear, and began to draw an "X" across a well-detailed drawing of a Pokemon called Ariados, Spinarak's evolved form.

"Well…" She sighed. "That's one Pokemon down. Let's just hope I can find the others…"

In the seventh page of Naomi's notebook wasn't a drawing of a Pokemon from a picture. It was, however, a flawless recreation of a cave drawing that was considered to be the only recorded information about a certain Pokemon that was considered to be a mere legend. This Pokemon was called Entei.

Danny made his way to the help desk at the Pokemon Center, and asked the receptionist about the possibility of a gear shop being located in the city.

The receptionist nodded firmly. "Yes, in fact, if you just turn left out of our door, and go down a few blocks, it'll be on the left side here. Just look for the large, wooden sign."

Danny grinned from ear to ear. "That's perfect! I need to get some things before I leave."

The nurse looked at him curiously. "What are you leaving to do, anyway?" she asked politely.

Danny smiled at her. "I need to go spelunking. I have to go find a Rock-type Pokemon." He said this because Danny knew something that Naomi and Fletcher did not. The first gym leader of the Johto Region wasn't very well known. In fact, he had just started his career as a gym leader. His name was Falkner and he specialized in Flying-type Pokemon.

The nurse undid Fletcher's bandages for the second time that day, and for the second time, they were coated in blood on the inside. Fletcher found them very hard to look at, but as the nurse began to wrap the bandage around his torso, Fletcher stopped her.

"Wait a moment, please." Fletcher asked this politely with a level of indifference. "I just want to see how my wound is doing."

The nurse looked at him worried. "Look if you want to, but it's not pretty."

Fletcher looked down at the large claw mark that made its way horrendously from his left should to the top of ribs on the right side. He flinched. "It doesn't look too deep, does it?"

The nurse looked at him with pity. "No, it isn't too deep at all. You got lucky, young man."

Fletcher sighed. "Yeah, I really did…"


	5. Interlude Part 1: Giovanni's Iliad Act I

So uh... I really haven't talked to you guys at all since I've made this thing, so I guess I should introduce myself properly. You can call me by my username if you'd like, I don't really have a problem with it. If swearing makes you uncomfortable, or if you just wanna use a real name, feel free to call me Danny. This story I'm writing is a warm up for the writing I'll eventually do for my career (I really want to be a well-renowned author). I'm trying to find my style with this work, but it's not just practice. I intend on, and have been, putting my all into this work to make it as enjoyable and fascinating as possible. I also want to make this have that free, adventurous feel that the Pokemon games have provided me with for so long while still dabbling into light tones. I hope you all enjoy, and I'll try to be more talkative in the future

\- Danny

A man in a black, silk suit made his way down Route 29 carefully, brushing aside branches slowly as to not dirty the suit. A large red "R" bore itself brightly against his black attire. This man's name was Giovanni, and he was the former leader of a criminal organization known as Team Rocket.

For years, the organization bullied its way through the Kanto Region. It gained so much momentum that some of its gym leaders, out of fear, joined the team. Giovanni himself maintained a position as the gym leader of Viridian City. This all changed when a young boy named Red challenged him. He showed Giovanni what it meant to be a trainer again.

Giovanni had since disbanded Team Rocket, and sought to return to his roots as a Pokemon trainer. This is brought this man to the untamed wilderness of Route 29, making his way eastbound, towards New Bark Town.

On his way through the brush, he heard a commotion in the distance and went to investigate it. As he approached the scene, he heard a familiar voice hissing.

"Listen kid, I don't care who you are, you don't go stealing a man's Pidgey like that!" It was Proton, a former executive of Team Rocket.

The unfamiliar voice spoke up. "I don't care what you say," it roared, "I caught this Pidgey fairly!"

"That's complete garbage and you know it, kid! Now take it back, before I destroy that ridiculous Pokemon of yours!" He sneered at the kid.

"No, I won't let you hurt my Chika!" The kid cried. Giovanni hustled over to the scene.

"Alright kid, you asked for it. Sneasel u-" Giovanni grabbed Proton's shoulder. Proton stopped mid sentence and his Sneasel looked at him expectedly.

"That's enough, Proton." Giovanni's voice held a commanding tone, and boomed through the thick brush of Route 29.

Proton looked down, frightened. "I-I-I'm sorry, boss."

Giovanni's eyes narrowed at the man. Proton's bright blue hair, which darted messily around, trembled. "Refrain from using that epitaph around me, Proton. I've disbanded the team. You know this."

"I-I'm sorry, sir. You're right…" Proton's voice shook.

"Now get out of my sight. I better not catch you bothering this boy anymore."

Proton nodded firmly. Without a word, both he and his Sneasel ran away in fear.

Giovanni knelt down next to the young man. The boy had blond hair and bright, hazel eyes. "Young man, are you okay?"

The young man, who had bled from an open wound across his chest nodded bravely. "Yeah… I think I'm okay."

Giovanni looked at him with fatherly concern. "You need medical attention. I'll seek it out for you immediately. Can you stand?"

The young man shook his head. "No… No I can't… It hurts too much…"

Giovanni's brow furrowed. "Young man, I am truly sorry for this. I shall do whatever it takes to see that you become healthy."

The young man managed a small smile. "Thank you sir… Who are you, if you mind my asking?"

Giovanni held his hand out to the young man. "My name is Giovanni. What might your name be?"

The young man reached out to feebly shake the man's hand. "My name is… F-Fletcher."

"Fletcher…" Giovanni repeated. "Although I wish it were under different circumstances, it is an honor to meet a young trainer such as yourself."

Giovanni carried Fletcher the entire way through Route 29 without wavering for a second. Thick branches clawed and tore at his suit, but he marched on. The boy's two Pokemon - a Chikorita and Pidgey - trailed behind him meekly.

When they reached the Center, Giovanni carried Fletcher to a bed and stayed to ensure that he was treated. He sat by the boy's bedside for several hours before the boy woke up.

His eyes batted open, and he looked at Giovanni intensely. "Hey… How did I get here?"

Giovanni looked solemn. "Do not worry about it, Fletcher. I am merely doing what is right."

Fletcher nodded. "Thank you, sir." He sat up suddenly and winced.

"It might be better if you lay down for awhile." Giovanni held his hand up in passive resistance. "That wound of yours won't heal if you're thrashing about."

Fletcher sighed in defeat. "I just… I want to know if Chika's okay."

Giovanni's eyes widened. "You named your Chikorita, Chika?" Giovanni hesitated. "What of your Pidgey?"

A small smile crept across Fletcher's face as he eased himself back down. "I hadn't thought of it yet." He pondered for a moment. "I think I'll name him Pidge."

Giovanni shook his head. * _I don't believe it. This boy, his naming scheme is the exact same as the one of that man's… Could it be that this boy has been put in my path for me to… To retribute my mistakes..?_ *

Giovanni realized the prolonged silence that was brought by his stunning revelation. "Can I be of any further service to you."

Fletcher looked at him for a moment. "Don't worry, you don't need to do anything else. You already saved my life. You should do what you need to do."

Giovanni became stunned again. "Er… Yes, I suppose you're right. Young man, if you ever need my help…" He thought for a moment. "You know of Professor Elm, correct?"

A spark of recognition lit in Fletcher's mind and shone in his smile. "Yeah!"

Giovanni beamed. "Excellent! He will know of my whereabouts." He put his hand on Fletcher's shoulders and looked him sternly in the eye. "If you ever need my assistance again, do not hesitate to contact him."

Fletcher nodded firmly. "Okay, I'll make sure to. Thank you for everything, Mr. Giovanni."

Giovanni smiled politely. "Farewell, young Fletcher. Until we meet again."

Giovanni stood up and brushed off his tattered suit jacket. He turned on his heel, and walked away. He did not stop walking until he reached the end of Route 29, and saw the bustling small town of New Bark Town spread before him.


	6. Interlude Part 2: Giovanni's Iliad Act 2

Hey guys, Danny here again. If you've come this far, thank you so much! I appreciate your loyalty to the story. My uploading schedule might be very infrequent from here on out. I've come to a block with the next chapter and it's gonna take some time before I decide what I want to do with it. Of course, I always want to provide enough substance per chapter, and don't want any updates going to waste, so please have patience. Of course, feedback is both appreciated and encouraged so I'd love to hear what you guys think! Until then, Au revoir!

\- Danny

As Giovanni arrived at the edge of New Bark Town, and the narrow, dirt road gave way to a wide, pebbled street, he was overcome with a sense of purpose. He stopped suddenly at the edge of this convergence and began to remove his tattered jacket, which still bore a bright red "R" that remained completely intact.

* _If I go into the town wearing that insignia, I won't be able to see the Professor.*_ Giovanni lamented briefly at the loss of his former identity, but felt relieved to be unburdened of it. This oppression of his former organization gave him the chance to start again. Everybody knew the face of that organization. Nobody, except those young men from the time before, knew the face of its leader. He left the suit jacket hanging from a tree and he made his way to the Professor's house.

The moment that Giovanni rapped his knuckles heavily against the oak wood, he began to fear the worst. He was surprised when the timid Professor peaked out his door, and beamed at the sight of his face.

"Hello, Giovanni. It's been entirely too long." Elm opened the door and beckoned Giovanni in with a welcoming wave.

Giovanni allowed a sigh of relief to escape him. "It's good to see you again, Jason."

Elm mused. "It really is. What brings you to these parts?" Elm walked across the laboratory and plopped down into his battered rolling chair. He motioned to the stool that stood at the very table Naomi, Danny, and Fletcher had chosen their Pokemon days before.

Giovanni sat on the stool properly, and place his hands on his knees. "Jason, I have to ask a favor of you."

Professor Elm, who began leafing through a folder on his desk looked up above his glasses at him. "Go on."

Giovanni cleared his throat. "Well… I suppose you heard about the recent news involving a certain organization…" He looked away, ashamed.

Elm hesitated. "Are you referring to the disbanding of Team Rocket?"

Giovanni nodded solemnly. "Yes, I am… If I were to tell you that I was involved with them, what would you say?"

Elm shook his head and sighed. He pushed his glasses up with his hand and rested his eyes in his palm as he often did when he was distressed. "After all of these years, you still underestimate how well I know you, Giovanni."

He was caught off guard by this. "What do you mean?"

Elm chuckled in disbelief, and removed his hand. "If you think that from the moment I heard about the mysterious leader of Team Rocket also being the gym leader of Viridian City, I knew that it had to be you. You're entirely too ambitious. That's something that you'll never grow out of, and never have."

Giovanni's laugh boomed quickly. "You've always been observant, Jason. It doesn't surprise me when I found out you followed your father's work."

"I'm not the only one who knows," Elm replied, not looking away from the folder, "he knew too."

Giovanni's eyes widened. "You're kidding…"

"Not in the slightest. I suppose he knew that you'd come to senses eventually."

Giovanni looked down, as if he was weighed down by guilt. "Or he's just trying to protect his friends…"

Elm smiled with assurance in his eyes. "Or maybe he knew that the old Giovanni was in there somewhere."

Giovanni nodded. "That's what I need to ask you, Jason… I need a boat."

Elm looked at him quizzically. "Why do you need a boat?"

"I have to go see that man…" Giovanni said with an one thousand year stare. "Maybe he knows something I don't."

"You can't possibly mean -" Elm started.

Giovanni shook his head. "No no, that one hasn't been heard of since that Champion battle. I need to go to Kanto and talk to their Champion." Giovanni looked at him firmly as his childhood friend's eyes widened. "Jason, I need to go talk to Blue."


	7. Chapter 6: The Dreams of Village Kids

Professor Elm once told the Johto Trio that the dreams of village kids were often larger than the world itself. To Naomi, this gave the idea of having dreams a certain unattainability. That's why she was always puzzled when Danny said his dream with conviction. It seemed, to her, that nobody could sway his determination. She wished she was more that way. In this moment, however, all of that was forgotten as she worked with Blue and her new Spinarak, Sketchy.

Like Blue, Sketchy had been very eager to begin training and proved herself to be an incredibly tough Pokemon. This surprised Naomi, as most bugs are considered to be considerably frail. Against all logic, the spider Pokemon darted across the ground, leaves crunching like the bones of her enemies. Blue and Sketchy's fast and calculated movements kicked up a storm of fallen leaves that could hinder even the strongest of opponents useless against its gust.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, shining its bright, orange light of defiance in the defeat of its setting, Naomi came acrossed the camp of a young boy who had travelled from Cherrygrove, and nestled amongst the billowing line of pine trees that engulfed Route 30.

He had a tattered green tent that shook timidly in the gentle wind, and a campfire had been lit dimly against the brilliance of the setting sun. He sat on a large log that ended in sharp points of sod. This struck Naomi as curious.

The boy noticed Naomi approaching the campsite and stood up. "Hey, you!" The boy called out to Naomi.

She looked up at him, and reached for her belt preemptively. "Hey, me?!" She mirrored back, in false incredulousness.

The boy launched himself from his seat, and stood before her with heated spirit. "Yeah, you! You're a Pokemon trainer, right?!"

Naomi plucked a small Pokeball from her belt, and it expanded in her hand. She looked up at the boy in front of her and smirked. * _This is it, my first Pokemon battle. I didn't think it'd feel like this but,_ * she said, looking down at her stomach. A shudder of anticipation rattled her body, and she felt squeamish. * _I feel great._ *.

"Is that how you introduce yourself to a lady?! Maybe I should teach you some manners." Naomi could feel a rush of endorphins and confidence roll over her body.

"And maybe I should teach you how to battle," the kid retorted snidely.

Naomi took a step back, and an expression of astonishment crossed her face, and exchanged itself for the scrunched look of somebody who's been insulted. "That's it, I was gonna go easy, but you've just earned yourself a thrashing. Go, Sketchy!"

Naomi threw the ball and, in a fevered blur, it made its way to the ground. It bounced up and hanged in the air between the two trainers. The boy leaned back anxiously and kept his hands in the air as if to shield himself from what was inside. The ball popped open excitedly, and the stream of red energy spilled from it, taking the form of Naomi's Spinarak.

The boy looked at Sketchy quizzically. "A Spinarak?!" The boy sneered at Naomi. "And here I thought you were going to be fun. Go, Rattata!"

The boy's Pokeball popped open to reveal a small, purple rodent that had fierce, brown eyes and a disproportionately large head.

The two Pokemon locked eyes and circled each other fiercely. Each step they took seemed calculated. The Rattata bore its large front teeth in a vicious snarl and protruded its large head forward. Sketchy arched her small body upwards, and displayed her large stinger. Both Pokemon paced until they had their backs to their trainers, and stepped backwards several times.

As the two Pokemon stopped, Naomi was the first to make her move. "Okay, Sketchy, use Poison Sting!"

Danny carried a large wooden stick that was knotted at the end, and used it to push himself forward as he took right steps. It rolled effortlessly in the palm of his hand as he strode through the calm evening that enveloped Route 30 that day, at the very same time that Naomi began her first Pokemon battle. Pincushion, who reveled in the crisp air and the dazzling rays of setting sun, pranced next to his trainer energetically.

Danny stopped suddenly as he reached a cliff face that looked as if some powerful creature had taken a large blade to a mountain, and left nothing but a perfectly flat plateau that billowed before Route 30's quiet groves.

The sunlight took on a golden glow that was often believed to be the inspiration of the Legendary Ho-oh. It lit itself in Danny's dark brown eyes, revealing gems of gold that sparkled ambitiously. At the foot of the plateau lay a hole that looked as perfectly rounded as the pupil of an eye. It seemed to reach down infinitely towards the center of Earth. Danny and Pincushion stood in awe of it. A wooden sign clinged wearily to the plateau just above the hole. "Dark Cave: Only those with the brightest of lights should pass this point".

Danny glanced at his small companion for reassurance. "Okay, Pins, I think we've made it. Do you remember what we went over?"

Pincushion looked up at his master. "Quil," the small rodent squeaked reassuringly.

Danny beamed down at him. "Okay good! Now let's see those pins of yours!"

Pincushion hopped back eagerly and arched his back. His long face scrunched up intensely as he put all of his focus into producing his pins. "Cyndaaaaaaaaaaaa" Pincushion cried as he tried to force his pins out. "Quil!" Pincushion bounced backwards as a stream of brilliant flames shot from his back.

The flames shot past Danny with a soft " _woosh_ ". He looked at his Cyndaquil, whose face lit up with the fire of his pride and his pins. Danny threw his head back and produced a booming laugh that shook the pines of the trees surround him.

"Pins, that was so awesome," Danny boasted proudly as he reached for his Cyndaquil. He stopped suddenly, and realized that his Pokemon now had a small fire protruding from its back. "Okay, Pins, are you gonna be able to keep it kindled?"

Pincushion hesitated for a moment as the fire flickered and licked the air above the small rodent. "Quil!" Pincushion confirmed after several moments passed.

Danny adjusted a large spool of rope on his shoulder and nodded confidently. "Okay, Pins," Danny started, "let's go bag us our first teammate."

To Danny's relief, the hole had a ladder on the side that Danny dropped his foot into, and he immediately found his footing. Pincushion hobbled down after him, and carefully clinged to the sturdy wood of the latter. Danny's left foot touched the ground, and splashed up a small puddle of water.

"Hey Pins?" The little Cyndaquil squeaked in response as he moved down a rung. "You might want to get on my shoulder, bud. It's pretty damp down here."

Pincushion hopped off the ladder confidently and landing on his master's shoulders, much to Danny's displeasure. Danny hoisted Pincushion up by his armpits and turned his Pokemon's back away from him, creating a flickering light that toyed with the shadows of Dark Cave.

"Is this alright with you, Pins?" Pincushion squeaked in confirmation, and nodded his head. "Okay, good, we're gonna have to do this until it gets a little more dry."

Upon observation (by moving Pincushion back and forth as he looked around), Danny noticed that Dark Cave was exactly how he expected it to be. Stalactites hung from the ceiling of the cavern just high enough to threaten to fall that would impale anybody brave enough to walk underneath them. Large rocks scattered themselves among the ground in a haphazard fashion, complimented by a sprinkle of shallow puddles that rippled with large * _ploops_ *. This unnerved Danny, because this meant that there was a source of groundwater above them, and that also meant that Danny was beneath a lake.

After a few minutes of dedicated searching, Danny noticed a slight disturbance in the rubble. He stood still for a moment, and watched the foot of a large stalagmite. He pointed Pincushion in the direction of his curious sighting and watched again as there was an unmistakable shift in the earth.

Danny placed Pincushion on the ground with the utmost care and stood up readily. "Okay Pins, let's do this as we planned! Go for an Ember!"

Pincushion opened his small mouth, his large snout lifted in the air, and spewed a burst of flame at the rock which took the full force of the attack. Without a moment's hesitation, the rock hoisted itself up with two lanky arms and pushed itself into the air, revealing itself to be a Geodude.

Danny grinned maniacally. The meticulousness, and seeming randomness of his plan made him nervous, but seeing it executed so perfectly wrought him with giddy joy. "Okay, Pincushion, do you see where he's gonna land? Use an Ember on that spot!"

Just as he expected, the fire billowed from the damp ground with such adamance that it made Danny wonder how truly powerful his Cyndaquil was. As the Geodude made its head-first descent into the unforgiving flames of Pincushion's Ember, it thrusted one arm out and suspended its body above the dancing inferno.

"Alright! Pins, slide underneath him!"

Pincushion pushed back on his hind legs. He darted towards the fire and as his legs left the ground, he twisted his small form around, landing on his back. The momentum from his thrust propelled him across the smooth floor of the cavern, and into his own tempest of heat.

The Ember dispelled in a burst of sudden energy and dissipated in a second, leaving only the bright light of Pincushion's pins. The fire from the pins lit up the small creature's fierce expression. Pincushion locked eyes with the Geodude, and the Geodude's eyes widened in shock.

"Now, hit him with a Tackle as hard as you can!"

In a flurry with movement, Pincushion used his stubby foreleg to turn himself onto his feet, push his entire body into the ground, and launching himself into the Geodude's arm. The Geodude roared angrily as its arm buckled feebly under its own weight. Pincushion rolled backward quickly and a cloud of dust rippled across the small battlefield.

Danny shielded himself from the cloud as it whirled passed him. He coughed loudly, and struggled to look up and lock his eyes on his wild target. "Pins," he wheezed, "hit him with a Smokescreen, okay?"

Pincushion steadied himself on his hind legs, and planted himself firmly. "Quil!" He shouted to his master before inhaling loudly. As he exhaled, a small ball of smoke launched from his mouth. This ball, impossibly round, was a dark black that looked almost tangible like a cloud, and flew from his mouth as if a professional baseball player had thrown it instead. The ball of smoke hit Geodude, and created a layer of black smoke that wrapped the flame of Pincushion's pins in a veil of darkness.

Danny gripped the Pokeball tightly in his right hand and focused on seeing the Geodude with his mind. He inhaled nervously and threw a Pokeball for the first time.

On the day that Danny encountered the Geodude and Naomi encountered a trainer, Fletcher encountered the notion that he had been incredibly stressed out during his first two days as a Pokemon trainer. He sat in the Cherrygrove Pokemon Center for quite some time, fiddling with his Pokenav as he contemplated what he was going to do with this new day before him.

That's how Fletcher found himself on a brisk walk up Route 30 with his team. Chika, the ever loyal Chikorita, trotted beside her master and looked around at the open route, her eyes gleaming excitedly. Pidge immediately took advantage of the open sky and soared through the air, twirling and dipping. His anxious stride carried him across the sea of healthy, green grass. In the wake of his nervous thoughts, and his determination to rid himself of them, he managed to reach the end of Route 30.

The tall cliff that marked the route's end snapped Fletcher out of his thought process. Pidge circled Fletcher before landing on his shoulder as the small party came to a halt. Fletcher stared blankly at the rockface before him. He looked to his right and then to his left.

"Well that's particular…" He muttered under his breath.

To his right lay a dense wall of trees that lead deep into the woods of Southeast Johto. The forest path continued on his left with promise of guiding Fletcher out of the forest once and for all. He hesitated briefly and stepped to the right.

Naomi sat on the log proudly her dismayed opponent sat across the campfire with his head in his hands. She beemed at him smugly as drop of sweat rolled down her forehead and across her face. Her team sprawled themselves on the ground by her feet. Blue, who had gone up against the boy's stronger Rattata, layed on the ground in a heavy sleep. His body was spready like a human's, and his mud covered head hung back comically. Sketchy, who had gone against the boy's weaker Rattata, sat next to her exhausted comrade with composure.

Naomi wiped the sweat from her face and looked at the boy. "Hey, kid are you gonna be okay?"

The boy looked up and sighed. "I… I didn't think you'd be so strong." He blushed brightly.

Naomi chuckled. "You don't have to be so embarrassed, you know." She felt clumsy saying this, but she felt that she needed to. The boy seemed really unconfident.

He shook his head. "I dunno… Until today, I thought I was doing really well, but now…" He gripped the log with his hands. The loose bark cracked and broke in his grip. "I realized how far off I am from real progress."

Naomi's grin had since faded and was replaced with a wrinkle of worry. "There's no reason to feel so glum about losing. Heck, the friend I started my journey with is probably way ahead of me. I heard he even met a gym leader."

The boy's eyes widened. "What," he exclaimed.

Naomi nodded firmly.

The boy shook his head wildly. "You guys are incredible. So you really think this friend might be stronger than you?"

A dim smile lit on Naomi's face. "I don't have a single doubt that he is." Naomi thought to herself, * _I don't doubt that Fletcher is, either. I haven't seen either of them since I left Cherrygrove and I know they didn't stay behind. They must've already gotten to Violet City._ *

"If that's true, then people where you're from must be something special." The boy's comment came suddenly and snapped Naomi out of her thought.

She shook her head. Her thumb brushed the log back and forth hesitantly. "Not really, we're from a pretty small town not far from here. Its not all that."

The boy's eyes widened with curiosity. "Really? Where you are you from, anyway?"

Naomi's shy smile grew into one of subtle happiness at her new friend's curiosity. "We're from New Bark Town."

In a fit of surprise, the kid almost fell from his seat. "New Bark Town?! You mean that dinky little town east of Cherrygrove?!"

Naomi bursted out laughing and held her gut for effect. "Oh yes, exactly," she said between laughs. Her laughs bubbled to a stop before she spoke again. "See? We're not from anywhere special."

The boy nodded thoughtfully. "But there's gotta be some reason you guys are doing so well."

Naomi pondered for a moment. "Well, I don't know about me, but I know that Fletcher and Danny have always had this fire about them. They both have huge dreams, and they both really want them."

"Danny and Fletcher… So those are your friends huh?"

"Yeah that's them."

"Huh… Well, you have a fire to you too, you know. I've never seen somebody battle with that much passion."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there's gotta be something you want too."

This brought Naomi to a silence. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rested her head on her knees and sat there for awhile before she spoke again.

"I guess I want to find out who I am and what I want to do."

The boy, who layed down by the log and began to drift off, opened his eyes to look at Naomi. "Huh…"

Danny entered the Violet City Pokemon Center that night with a confident stride. Dirt covered his face, his hair curled wildly around his head and scraps showed their red marks on his cheeks and forearms. He approached the nurse at the counter who eyed him with a polite caution.

"Good evening. Welcome to the Violet City Pokemon Center! How may I help you?" The nurse spoke with a polite chirp.

Danny grinned happily. "Can I get my Pokemon healed? Oh, and I'm gonna need a room for the night."

The nurse held her smile. "Of course! I'll get you a room. Sit there while I heal your Pokemon, and I'll be right up to return them to you and help you with your injuries."

Danny shook his head and waved politely. "There's no need for that. I just need a nice shower and some sleep."

The nurse's smile faded slightly and the chirp in her voice came out hesitantly. "Its pretty late and you look like you've been through the ringer. How do you still have so much energy?"

Danny's smile lit his face brightly. "I can't help myself. I have my first gym battle tomorrow!"

The nurse chuckled with relief. "So you're a new trainer huh?"

Danny sensed her relief and reassured it with a thumbs up. "You've got it! I want to take the gym challenge and get stronger."

A genuine smile tugged at the nurse's face and she sighed. "And you were just out training I imagine?"

Danny nodded.

"Well, we should really get you and your Pokemon healed up. You need to be in top condition for your gym challenge tomorrow."

Danny sighed and his pleasant smile returned. "Okay, you've got me. I just need to shower first."

The nurse nodded. "Of course, I have your room registered." She handed Danny a key. "You'll have shampoo and body soap provided for you in your room."

Danny nodded eagerly and handed her two Pokeballs. "Thank you so much! And make sure to let Pins and Rocky out when you're done!"

Before the nurse could inquire about his request, Danny had bolted towards the escalator to the second floor.

After his shower, Danny changed into clean clothes and a pair of sweatpants that bore the words "Cherrygrove Pokemon Center" on the left leg. He then sat patiently on his bed as the nurse wiped his wounds with rubbing alcohol and wrapped bandages around his bruised and cut forearms. During this time, they exchanged small talk.

"Oh really, you're from New Bark City? What brings a country boy like you all the way to Violet City? I can't imagine its just to fight Falkner."

Danny flinched from the stinging of the alcohol on his cuts. "Yeah, that's just a small part of the bigger plan. You see, I don't just want to fight Falkner. What I really want is to become the Champion of Johto."

The nurse beamed at him. "The Champion of Johto, huh? You'll have to beat our current Champion to do that. Do you think you could manage it?"

Danny laughed softly. "Not now, but some day I think I could. I have to do this first though."

The nurse gently applied bandages to a piece of cotton and then gently pressed it to his cheek. "I'm sure its gonna be awhile before you get there, but you certainly have the fire for it."

Danny nodded whistfully. "I sure hope I do."

After hours of being lost, Fletcher heard the mutter of people through the thicket of the forest. He followed the voices until he saw two silhouettes carrying a third down a fresh path. He stepped cautiously towards them, and intently looked at them through the leaves.

The image he saw confused him. The two people were dressed all in black: black shoes that looked entirely too clean for two people in the middle of the forest, loose black pants that stopped cleanly at their ankles, black t-shirts that ended at their midriff, and black caps. The only other color Fletcher saw was the white form their socks and long sleeve shirts that covered the rest of their bodies. They seemed to be carrying a net with a indescernable pink Pokemon in it.

He felt butterflies of forewarning nervousness in his stomach and when the farthest person turned around those feelings were confirmed. Branded boldly on the person's cap was a bright red "R".

Terrified, Fletcher silently recalled his Pokemon to their Pokeballs and bolted. He heard a surprised yell of one of Rockets but he didn't stop to find out if it was he who had incited that reaction. He darted through the trees and barrelled through the branches in his way. His right foot slid as he stepped at the edge of a hill, and he began to lose his balance as he slid down. He planted his left foot firmly but lost his balance completely when he met a large root. The stumble sent him flipping into a pond and hitting his head on small stone bridge.

Fletcher woke up in a room made entirely of dark mahogany. The room was lit by several candles on either side of the bed he found himself in. He bolted upright and was greeted by the calm face of an old man in deep purple robes. The man had a full head of healthy black hair and green eyes that studied Fletcher knowingly.

"Ah so you're up. I'm relieved," the man spoke.

"Where am I," Fletcher blurted. As he spoke, a pain shot to his head, and he slammed a hand to his forehead, and gripped it tightly.

"You're in Violet City. You hit your head on our peace bridge outside and knocked yourself unconscious. I saw you floating in the pond, so I brought you here for resuscitation."

Fletcher nodded. "Okay, but what is this place, and who are you?"

The man smiled sheepishly at Fletcher. "Ah right, forgive me, for I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Brother Edmond. Welcome to Sprout Tower."

Hey everybody! I apologize for not updating in so long. I got pretty caught up with school and work, and haven't been able to write at all. With the bit of free time I've had the past few months, I've managed to write a bit of my personal work as well as write this chapter here. Its a lot longer than usual, so I hope that's okay. I'm gonna attempt to update a little more regularly than I have been. How often, I can't say, but I promise that I'll make an effort to update more frequently. Thank you for sticking with me through this hiatus and please enjoy!

\- Danny


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